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Scotland Labor Leader Vows to Close Gender Pay Gap

Women in Scotland face earning £60,000 ($78,216) less in their lifetime than men because of the gender pay gap, the latest research on the long-running issue has found. Scottish Labor leader Kezia Dugdale described the gap as “shameful” and vowed her party had plans to close it.

Labor’s analysis of figures from the Office for National Statistics found in every age group, women earn less than men on average in Scotland, which builds up to a median of £60,000 less over a woman’s working life, SNA reported.

The Scottish National Party responded by claiming it had done more in government that any other party to promote gender equality in the workplace, adding that female employment in Scotland was among the highest in Europe.

Plans to close the gender pay gap in the Labor manifesto include introducing a £10 real living wage, forcing businesses to publish pay ratios and creating a civil enforcement system to ensure compliance with gender pay auditing.

Dugdale said: “It is shameful that under the SNP and the Tories, women in Scotland could earn £60,000 less than men on average well into their careers. “Closing the gender pay gap isn’t just a question of fairness—it is essential for our economy.

“There is so much more to do to shatter the glass ceiling for women. Only Labor will take the radical steps to close the gap for good, like a real living wage and forcing companies to publish pay ratios. “If a company thinks a woman is worth a lower wage than a man, then under Labor, we’ll force them to admit it.

“This election is a choice between Scottish Labor MPs who will fight to close the gender pay gap, or SNP MPs who will fight for a second independence referendum that Scotland doesn’t need or want.”

SNP candidate for Aberdeen North, Kirsty Blackman, said: “The SNP government has done more than any other to promote gender equality in the workplace and jobs market, with female employment being amongst the highest in Europe. “On the other hand, Labor utterly failed over many decades to do enough on this when they had the chance.”

Previous research by PwC published in February found that the gender pay gap in Scotland currently stands at 15% despite improved opportunities for women in the workplace. The research found if this gap was closed, female earnings would increase by 18%–an extra £5,300 per head per year.